This Nicaraguan puncher commemorates Jose Padron's diamond jubilee with serious heft - 5.25" of box-pressed muscle under a blackened San Andrés maduro cloak. At 56 ring gauge, it feels like rolling a chocolate-dipped railroad tie between your fingers. Twenty-four of these dark knights will set you back $546, but devotees swear the 5-year-aged tobacco justifies every cent. The double bands aren't just decoration - they're blood oaths to construction quality.
Cold draw releases raisin sweetness. Initial puffs deliver bitter cacao nibs and espresso ristretto intensity. Smoke output surprisingly wispy for the girth. Burn line holds razor-straight despite the maduro's oil content. Retrohale shows black pepper at 90% intensity.
Creaminess emerges between charred oak beams. Leather undertones develop alongside faint hickory smoke. Ash holds firm in 1.5" segments. Draw tightens slightly - careful purge needed. Nicotine creep becomes palpable around the band point.
Molasses sweetness spikes through the char. Last inch introduces unexpected dried cherry notes. Smoke turns velvety but demands slow pacing. Tar buildup requires nibbling cutoff 15mm early. Buzz persists 45 minutes post-smoke.
The box press shows textbook 90-degree edges. Wrapper veins run vertical - no cross-hatching to disrupt burn. Triple cap holds firm through V-cut. Cold weight averages 18.7g (substantial for vitola). Compression test reveals slight give at foot, typical of maduro wraps.
